Homebirth (and other natural brithing) Chats

[tankel]

NDH, oh man, I really wanted to give birth outside in nature, but I live in the big city and my due date is in the dead of winter, so I don't really see that happening. Although winters where I'm from can be mild. Hopefully my next one, I can give birth in a tide pool or something.

 

[NDH]

A tide pool sounds cool! I couldn't do it though cause sea water makes me unbearably itchy so I would be so uncomfortable. A birth pool outside (a la hot tub but fresh obviously) would be divine though I think our yard won't be private enough for me to feel comfortable giving birth outside but I could still labour under my trees.

 

[tankel]

I hope you end up being able to do it, even if you don't give birth outside, it will be nice to be out there for a little while.

 

[tankel]

So I've been up-ing my fermented food intake. I was going to make my own, but I found a great source and I'm a-ok with buying it Hello sauerkraut!

 

[NDH]

That's good you found s good source to buy it. I would if I could as that's one thing I'm you nervius/lazy to do on my own.

 

[tankel]

Yeah, I was nervous of messing something up when making fermented foods myself. Where I live it can get hot durring the day and I'm not sure I have a place in my house that is a good temp for fermenting foods anyway. It might have to be a winter project.

 

[CWB86]

I really want a home birth. I made my mind up about that years ago.

I can see my midwife trying to talk me out of it, as its my first, and it's not really the norm here.

But I will stand my ground, and only intend to go to hospital if there's something seriously wrong with me or baby.

I really don't like all the medical intervention for something so natural

 

[tankel]

CWB, and welcome. I hope you get the homebirth that you want. How far along are you? Have you seen a MW yet?

 

[CWB86]

My first midwife apt is 3rd August, I'm a bit nervous about it as I feel they might try and put me off- I'm only 8+3 today

 

[tankel]

Do you have an option of picking out your MW where you live? Maybe if yours tries to dissuade you, you can find someone a little more open to the idea. At any rate, just stay strong in what you want. There is a lot of adversity out there for home birthing and I think its just silly.

 

[CWB86]

I'm not sure, I'm in the UK/Yorkshire and as its my first I really don't know how it works.
I don't even know the same of who I'm seeing on the 3rd, I've just got to go to the main midwife place.

To me I just think women have been doing it for thousands of years, and there's too much focus on what might go wrong rather than just getting on with it

 

[tankel]

I know how you feel. Every one always says what if something goes wrong and I just want to say: why do you think something will go wrong? I think the idea that things can go badly stems from the way that minor things in hospital are treated as emergencies, so even when things are not textbook normal, it is treated as if something "went wrong".

 

[Keebs]

Hi ladies, congratulations to everyone

I hope to have a 2nd homebirth as my first was a very positive experience. My community midwifery team are very supportive of homebirths so fingers crossed yours are too CWB86.

Mostly people keep their opinions to themselves I find although a few people do wonder about the 'what if's' Ironic really as my worries are about the 'what if's' associated with hospital births I'm quite confident there is very little that can go wrong at home that cannot be safely delt with at the time or with a hospital transfer.

What are everyone's plans regarding vitamin K? I declined it the first time as they kept banging on about all newborns being deficient which I just didn't buy. The focus has changed now and the talk is about the 'vulnerable newborn period' and I do acknowldge there is a risk, all be it tiny. Swithering over giving the oral vit k this time but still not sure.

 

[NDH]

Hi Keebs and CWB.

Keebs I was bullied into oral vitamin k with my second at the hospital but I didn't give her the other two doses I was supposed to. I dint give vitamin k to my first and won't give it again. My own opinion is newborns can't be "deficient" in something they naturally don't have and can't be made to be born with no matter how much vitamin k is given to the mother or injected directly into the placenta. Vitamin k levels naturally rise after birth and peak after just 8 days and I have no intention of injecting such a massive dose of it into my newborn (not to mention the adjutivuncts) or damage my babys virgin gut by putting anything but breastmilk in their stomach. And then there's the possible cancer link too. The risk of a brain hemorrhage is the same or even smaller than the increase in childhood leukemia among those who get vitamin k - not worth it to me.

 

[tankel]

I had no idea about vitamin K injections. Oh man, I hope no one is going to try to inject anything into my newborn.

 

[tankel]

Just checking in. How's everyone doing?

 

[CWB86]

I had my booking in appointment and told her my concerns. She said the midwives where I am registered are generally supportive of home births but the consultants aren't. She said the consultant will probably try and talk me out of it (good luck to him, because there's probably nobody more stubborn than me).
She said to discuss it at my 16 week appointment (I'm 11 tomorrow)

 

[NDH]

I'm glad the midwives are supportive at least, since they'll be the ones you'll be dealing with mostly. Don't mind the consultants, they have no right to refuse you a home birth. That's one thing I really like about the UK system as there's a duty of care requirement for midwives and consultants to provide care for you even if they don't agree with your requests (in other words you ALWAYS have the right to a home birth even if you're considered high risk and the consultants say no - you may not want to of course but that's your call, and you can refuse an induction etc as well). Sadly of course it doesn't mean you won't get bullied into following their recommendations, but its still reassuring to know ultimately they have to support you.

Good luck I hope you don't have to sorry about standing your ground and are met with support along the way.

 

[tankel]

Oh man it sounds hard, but at least you don't have fear of getting talked out of what you want.

I had an appointment on Friday and everything is looking great. Although the MW told me I need more protein..which is what they always tell me because they often do not see non-meat as sources of protein. I'm eating beans, nuts, and high-protein veggies like spinach for snacks, but she seems to think I need to eat some sort of meat every time I put something in my mouth, which is something my belly is not prepared to do!

 

[NDH]

Thats nuts!